Parishes, including Hawaii County, indicate no mask mandate and the number of Nevadans unvaccinated
by: David Charns
Posted: 7/22/2021 / 5:34 PM PDT
Updated: 7/22/2021 / 6:41 PM PDT
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) –– With a surge in coronavirus cases and no all-encompassing mask mandate, some communities across the country are advising residents not to travel to Las Vegas unvaccinated.
A mask requirement went into effect on Thursday, which applies to employees of all companies in Clark County. Last week, the Southern Nevada Health District recommended that everyone – vaccinated or not – wear a mask in crowded indoor public spaces.
Before district commissioners voted for the August 17 mandate, leaders in at least three parishes expressed concern about the trip to Las Vegas for the unvaccinated.
Last week Chicago added the entire state of Nevada to its travel advisory list. Los Angeles health officials also expressed concern about Californians traveling to Las Vegas amid the surge in cases in Nevada.
“The biggest hotspot for bringing COVID to Kaua’i? Las Vegas, ”said Mayor Derek Kawakami of Kaua’i County, Hawaii, in a health update released earlier this week.
“Visitors usually stay inside for a long time,” said Kawakami. “They mingle with others from all over the country, including states where COVID and the delta variant are spreading rapidly. No masks are required indoors in Las Vegas, and the result is the spread of COVID-19. “
Hawaii’s surrogate was blunt when he spoke to 8 News Now’s sister station in Hawaii about an unvaccinated trip to Nevada on Monday.
“You are taking a great risk and are very likely to contract COVID if you go to Las Vegas,” said Lt. Gov. Josh Green. “You’re in restaurants or a casino where most people don’t wear masks. That will happen. You will definitely get infected with COVID. Then you come back, you will be asymptomatic for a few days, you will test positive for COVID and you will give it to your whole family. “
One blunt message from Hawaii’s lieutenant governor about the unvaccinated trip to Las Vegas: “You will definitely get COVID across your entire family.” Pic.twitter.com/LcBgUmM7Ta
– David Charns (@davidcharns) July 23, 2021
Nearly 60% of the Hawaiian population is fully vaccinated, state data shows. Almost 40% of Nevada’s residents are fully vaccinated. In Clark County, the number is lower at about 39%.
Clark County’s test positive rate remained steady at 14% on Thursday. A day after 28 deaths were recorded across the state, Nevada reported eight deaths, seven of which were from Clark County.
NEW: COVID-19 cases hit 942; Nevada’s test positive now at 12.7%
Clark County remains a “sustainable hotspot” watched by the federal government, according to a report from the White House COVID-19 team updated this week.
In a White House report last week, the Las Vegas metropolitan area was named the worst in the country for transmitting the virus in metropolitan areas of more than 1 million people. This week’s report ranks Las Vegas in fourth place, just behind three cities in Florida including Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami.
